Stress test: Tension builds around teetering Tar Heels

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina hadn’t done much right in the Atlantic Coast Conference portion of its schedule until winning during the weekend.

Still, the Tar Heels will have to pass a stress test if they’re going to get through these rough times.

Outplayed and outexecuted and definitely outscored in two games, this team was stressed out, too. Then the Tar Heels went out and won a game, in some ways complicating matters in trying to assess this team.

Coach Roy Williams has done what he can to help diffuse the stress, but he said he knows it’s there. The expectations are always so high for the Tar Heels that two-game ACC losing streaks are cause for intervention.

“We were on the edge of the cliff, not the fiscal cliff that everybody worried about a couple of weeks ago,” Williams said Monday, suggesting more urgency is a necessary ingredient. “But we were on the edge.”

They have a week to scream for joy or sulk or simmer or sort out this before it becomes any murkier. And by noon Saturday, Maryland will have a team inside the Smith Center and the historians will be watching to see if the Tar Heels fall to 1-3 in ACC competition and just how that holds up against the tradition.

“I hope we make changes and try to get wins,” junior guard Reggie Bullock said last week.

It will take change, and perhaps that was kick-started with the outing at Florida State. Not that losing figures to run the course of the season, but the expanded ACC schedule gives the Tar Heels 15 more chances to win or lose in regular-season league play — just for anyone who’s inclined to keep count.

The Tar Heels split two games last week to Sunshine State schools in a matter of a few days. And it’s along Tobacco Road where the real ACC ditches are supposed to exist this season.

North Carolina can dig out. The Tar Heels have dug out before. They were 0-2 in the ACC four years ago, recovering to win the national championship.

This weekend, there figures to be a large number of North Carolina fans coming through the turnstiles at the Smith Center. Some of them are stressed out, too.

They also could hold the keys to helping the Tar Heels uncover success that they’re accustom to. There were moments in last week’s home loss to Miami when the crowd became engaged in North Carolina’s efforts, doing all it could to give the Tar Heels a much-needed boost.

It seems too soon for disinterest to set in, so the home fans could provide a sizable boost as they try to encourage their team in the right direction.

Otherwise, the stress levels will raise yet another notch.

“We’ve got to get away from that,” Williams said of the tension that he knows is part of the landscape when the Tar Heels aren’t winning.

Most years, a 2-2 start in the ACC would be reason to fail a stress test. This year, such a record would be a relief.

“The season isn’t hopeless,” Paige said. “At some point, we’ve got to get it turned around.”

Bob Sutton is sports editor of the Times-News.

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina hadn’t done much right in the Atlantic Coast Conference portion of its schedule until winning during the weekend.

Still, the Tar Heels will have to pass a stress test if they’re going to get through these rough times.

Outplayed and outexecuted and definitely outscored in two games, this team was stressed out, too. Then the Tar Heels went out and won a game, in some ways complicating matters in trying to assess this team.

Coach Roy Williams has done what he can to help diffuse the stress, but he said he knows it’s there. The expectations are always so high for the Tar Heels that two-game ACC losing streaks are cause for intervention.

“We were on the edge of the cliff, not the fiscal cliff that everybody worried about a couple of weeks ago,” Williams said Monday, suggesting more urgency is a necessary ingredient. “But we were on the edge.”

They have a week to scream for joy or sulk or simmer or sort out this before it becomes any murkier. And by noon Saturday, Maryland will have a team inside the Smith Center and the historians will be watching to see if the Tar Heels fall to 1-3 in ACC competition and just how that holds up against the tradition.

“I hope we make changes and try to get wins,” junior guard Reggie Bullock said last week.

It will take change, and perhaps that was kick-started with the outing at Florida State. Not that losing figures to run the course of the season, but the expanded ACC schedule gives the Tar Heels 15 more chances to win or lose in regular-season league play — just for anyone who’s inclined to keep count.

The Tar Heels split two games last week to Sunshine State schools in a matter of a few days. And it’s along Tobacco Road where the real ACC ditches are supposed to exist this season.

North Carolina can dig out. The Tar Heels have dug out before. They were 0-2 in the ACC four years ago, recovering to win the national championship.

This weekend, there figures to be a large number of North Carolina fans coming through the turnstiles at the Smith Center. Some of them are stressed out, too.

They also could hold the keys to helping the Tar Heels uncover success that they’re accustom to. There were moments in last week’s home loss to Miami when the crowd became engaged in North Carolina’s efforts, doing all it could to give the Tar Heels a much-needed boost.

It seems too soon for disinterest to set in, so the home fans could provide a sizable boost as they try to encourage their team in the right direction.

Otherwise, the stress levels will raise yet another notch.

“We’ve got to get away from that,” Williams said of the tension that he knows is part of the landscape when the Tar Heels aren’t winning.

Most years, a 2-2 start in the ACC would be reason to fail a stress test. This year, such a record would be a relief.

“The season isn’t hopeless,” Paige said. “At some point, we’ve got to get it turned around.”

Bob Sutton is sports editor of the Times-News.

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina hadn’t done much right in the Atlantic Coast Conference portion of its schedule until winning during the weekend.

Still, the Tar Heels will have to pass a stress test if they’re going to get through these rough times.

Outplayed and outexecuted and definitely outscored in two games, this team was stressed out, too. Then the Tar Heels went out and won a game, in some ways complicating matters in trying to assess this team.

Coach Roy Williams has done what he can to help diffuse the stress, but he said he knows it’s there. The expectations are always so high for the Tar Heels that two-game ACC losing streaks are cause for intervention.

“We were on the edge of the cliff, not the fiscal cliff that everybody worried about a couple of weeks ago,” Williams said Monday, suggesting more urgency is a necessary ingredient. “But we were on the edge.”

They have a week to scream for joy or sulk or simmer or sort out this before it becomes any murkier. And by noon Saturday, Maryland will have a team inside the Smith Center and the historians will be watching to see if the Tar Heels fall to 1-3 in ACC competition and just how that holds up against the tradition.

“I hope we make changes and try to get wins,” junior guard Reggie Bullock said last week.

It will take change, and perhaps that was kick-started with the outing at Florida State. Not that losing figures to run the course of the season, but the expanded ACC schedule gives the Tar Heels 15 more chances to win or lose in regular-season league play — just for anyone who’s inclined to keep count.

The Tar Heels split two games last week to Sunshine State schools in a matter of a few days. And it’s along Tobacco Road where the real ACC ditches are supposed to exist this season.

North Carolina can dig out. The Tar Heels have dug out before. They were 0-2 in the ACC four years ago, recovering to win the national championship.

This weekend, there figures to be a large number of North Carolina fans coming through the turnstiles at the Smith Center. Some of them are stressed out, too.

They also could hold the keys to helping the Tar Heels uncover success that they’re accustom to. There were moments in last week’s home loss to Miami when the crowd became engaged in North Carolina’s efforts, doing all it could to give the Tar Heels a much-needed boost.

It seems too soon for disinterest to set in, so the home fans could provide a sizable boost as they try to encourage their team in the right direction.

Otherwise, the stress levels will raise yet another notch.

“We’ve got to get away from that,” Williams said of the tension that he knows is part of the landscape when the Tar Heels aren’t winning.

Most years, a 2-2 start in the ACC would be reason to fail a stress test. This year, such a record would be a relief.

“The season isn’t hopeless,” Paige said. “At some point, we’ve got to get it turned around.”